X75 Productions

Category: NHL

  • News and Notes: October 10th, 2018

    NHL

     

    Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, these are your news and notes for Wednesday, October 10th, 2018…

    There were six contests in the NHL.

    • Auston Matthews and John Tavares would both score two goals for the second consecutive game to defeat the Dallas Stars 7-4. Matthews and Tavares are the sixth set of teammates in League history, and the third in the modern era (1943-44), to score six or more goals in a team’s first four games. Matthews has also gone on to collect at least two points in all of Toronto’s contests thus far.
    • Joe Pavelski and Evander Kane would score multiple goals each to lift the San Jose Sharks in a 8-2 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers. With Pavleski scoring two goals, he remains one point shy of becoming the third player to record 700 points in San Jose Sharks franchise history. Patrick Marleau (1082 pts) and Joe Thornton (974 pts) are the other two players to reach the 700 point plateau.
    • Five different skaters scored last night for the Carolina Hurricanes would would go on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. With the victory, the Hurricanes extended their season-opening point streak to 7 (3-0-1). The Hurricanes have a combined 13 goals in their last two contests, matching a total for consecutive games since April 6-8, 2010.Sebastian Aho would extend his point streak to four games and this game marked the third time in the last four games in which a Carolina player would record at least one point in each of the team’s first four games.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Yesterday’s contests:

    • San Jose 8, Philadelphia 2
    • Carolina 5, Vancouver 3
    • Columbus 5, Colorado 2
    • Calgary 3, Nashville 0
    • Winnipeg 2, Los Angeles 1
    • Toronto 7, Dallas 4

    Tonight’s schedule of games:

    Oct_10th_Schedy-10124533.jpg

    Image courtesy of NHL and NHL Public Relations

    TXHT has your preview of the Washington Capitals playing host to the Vegas Golden Knights. To read the game preview, please go here.

    In NHL news…

    Washington Capitals beat writer Isabelle Khurshudyan released an article about a conversation that happened between Brett Connolly and Devante Smith-Pelly and what that did. Also in the article is how new acquisition Dmitri Jaskin could be a good reclamation project.

    Also in Capitals news, F Tom Wilson is scheduled to have his hearing about his suspension with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sometime next week.

    The NHL announced a time change for the Boston Bruins versus Detroit Red Wings game on Saturday. The game will now start at 3 p.m. to accommodate the Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros Game 1 of MLB’s ALCS.

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • Game Preview – 10/10/2018 – Vegas Golden Knights v. Washington Capitals

    Game Preview – 10/10/2018 – Vegas Golden Knights v. Washington Capitals

     

    Time: 8p EST

    Station: NBCSN

     

    Preview:

    In a rematch of last season’s Stanley Cup Finals, the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Washington Capitals as they renew their rivalary from this past summer. The Capitals will not have a very different looking lineup compared to the last time these two faced, but Michal Kempny will be making his regular season debut, and Dmitrij Jaskin will be making his Washington Capitals debut. Vegas on the other hand have some new faces in their lineup, but will be without free agent addition Paul Stastny for tonight’s game.

     

    Vegas Golden Knights:

    Projected Lineup:

    Jonathan Marchessault – William Karlsson – Reilly Smith

    Max Pacioretty – Erik Haula – Tomas Nosek

    Ryan Carpenter – Cody Eakin – Oscar Lindberg

    William Carrier – Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare – Ryan Reaves

    Brayden McNabb – Colin Miller

    Deryk Engelland – Shea Theodore

    Jon Merril – Nick Holden

    Marc-Andre Fleury

    Malcolm Subban

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Get a good start

    The Golden Knights are looking tonstart this game strong. This is their 4th game of the season already, and their first 3 games have been met with mixed results. If Vegas can get their legs moving early, they can give themselves a chance to a strong game.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Brett Connolly

    Jakub Vrana – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Chandler Stephenson – Lars Eller – Andre Burakovsky

    Dmitrij Jaskin – Nic Dowd – Devante Smith-Pelly

    Michal Kempny – John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov – Matt Niskanen

    Christian Djoos – Brooks Orpik

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Be consistent in the faceoff circle

    In the Capitals season opener, they were abysmal in the faceoff circle against Boston, but the next night in Pittsburgh they were much better. Tonight against Vegas the Capitals will want to repeat how they did in the faceoff circle against Pittsburgh.

     

    2. Keep your feet moving

    Against Boston the Capitals did everything right, and they benefited from it. However, against Pittsburgh they did not and the sloppy play costed them. Vegas will be looking for vengeance for being defeated in five games in the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Capitals will need to play their game, and keep their feet moving.

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • TXHT – 10/09/2018

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reS4P-k5H8o&w=560&h=315]

     

    Join Michael as he breaks down the first two games of the season for the Washington Capitals. Plus NWHL recaps and NHL News and Notes.

     

    Opening Music – “Human Chess” by Crimson Orchid

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

    Also don’t forget to enter TXHT’s Contest for a pair of weekend passes to CSA Shows this weekend!

  • 10/09/2018 – Toronto Maple Leafs v. Dallas Stars

     

     

    Toronto Maple Leafs (2-1-0 4pts) v, Dallas Stars (2-0-0 4pts)

     

    Lineups:

    Toronto Maple Leafs:

    Kasperi Kapanen — Auston Matthews — Patrick Marleau

    Zach Hyman — John Tavares — Mitch Marner

    Par Lindholm — Nazem Kadri — Connor Brown

    Josh Leivo — Frederik Gauthier — Tyler Ennis

    Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev

    Igor Ozhiganov – Travis Dermott

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

    Scratched: Justin Holl, Andreas Johnsson, Martin Marincin

    Injured: None

     

    Dallas Stars:

    Jamie Benn — Alexander Radulov — Tyler Seguin

    Mattias Janmark — Jason Spezza — Blake Comeau

    Devin Shore — Radek Faksa — Tyler Pitlick

    Valeri Nichuskin — Roope Hintz — Brett Ritchie

    Esa Lindell — John Klingberg

    Marc Methot — Miro Heiskanen

    Connor Carrick — Roman Polak

    Ben Bishop

    Anton Khudobin

    Scratched: Jason Dickinson

    Injured: Johns (Concussion Symptoms), Hanzel (Back)

    Suspended:

    Gameday:

    https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1049645912572682240

     

    First Period:
    Leafs Goal – 9:40 – Mitch Marner (2) from Unassisted
    Stars Goal – 17:23– Alexander Radulov (3) from Tyler Seguin (3) and Miro Heiskanen(1)
    Leafs Goal – 18:58 – Auston Matthews (6) from Kasperi Kapanen (2) and Morgan Rielly (5)

    End of 1st – TML – 2      DAL – 1

    Shots             12                 10

    Faceoffs      7/14               7/14

    Hits                3                   12

    PP                 0/0                 0/0

     

    Analysis:

    The Leafs came out flying in this one. Scoring chances galore, The Stars were getting a lot of shots but not many chances. Solid defence and some good goaltending as well, both things that have hampered the Leafs this season.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Leafs need to be better in the faceoff circle and crowd up the neutral zone. The Stars are coming up the middle strong. Keep the foot on the gas pedal.

     

    Second Period:
    Stars Goal – 10:56 – Tyler Seguin (3) from Esa Lindell (2) and Ben Bishop (1)
    Stars Penalty – 8:40 – Jamie Benn, 2 minutes for Roughing
    Leafs PPG – 8:01 – Auston Matthews (7) from Morgan Rielly (6) and Mitch Marner (4)
    Leafs Goal – 4:00 – Ron Hainsey (1) from Kasper Kapanen (3) and Par Lindholm (1)
    Stars Penalty – 3:25 – Roope Hintz 2 minutes for Faceoff Violation
    Leafs PPG – 3:00 – John Tavares (7) from Mitch Marner (5) and Morgan Rielly (7)
    Leafs Penalty – 2:17 – Patrick Marleau 2 minutes for Hooking
    Stars PPG – 1:58 – Jamie Benn (3) from Alexander Radulov (3) and Tyler Seguin(4)

     

    End of 2nd – TML – 5           DAL – 3

    Shots                20                      25

    Faceoffs        18/33                 15/33

    Hits                  7                         19

    PP                   2/3                       1/1

     

    Analysis:

    Leafs got sloppy at the beginning but then got some power plays and it went to work. Generating a lot of chances, 4th line looks really good. Improved on the face-offs this period and it showed in their play.

     

    Need to Do:

    Leafs need to shut down in the 3rd period. Play a strong dump and chase and not take their foot off the gas pedal. Need the 3rd and 4th lines to come up big.

     

    Third Period:
    Stars Goal – 17:21 – John Klingberg (2) from Alexander Radulov (4) and Tyler Seguin (5)
    Leafs Goal – 15:05 – John Tavares (5) from Mitch Marner (6) and Nikita Zaitsev (1)
    Leafs Empty Net Goal – 3:20 – Connor Brown (1) from Morgan Rielly (7) and Ron Hainsey (1)

     

    End of 3rd – TML – 7          DAL – 4

    Shots               30                    34

    Faceoffs       27/43                25/43

    Hits                 28                    16

    PP                   2/3                   1/1

     

    Analysis:

    The Leafs showed why they are one of the most dominant offensive teams in the league. Everytime Dallas would try and get back into the game the Leafs just kept responding. Bishop gave up 7 tonight and looked shaky, while Andersen looked solid despite giving up 4 goals. The three headed monster showed its head again with another dominating offensive performance.

     

     

    Next Up:

    Toronto (3-1-0 6pts) at Detroit (0-1-2 2pts)

    Dallas (2-1-0 0pts) at Anaheim (3-0-0 6pts)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • News and Notes: October 9th, 2018

     

    These are your news and notes for Tuesday, October 9th, 2018…

    In the NHL, there were four contests yesterday.

    • The Boston Bruins played host to the Ottawa Senators and went on to victory in a 6-3 rout at TD Garden. Patrice Bergeron went on to net a hat trick, the fourth in his career, and David Pastrnak collected four points (two goals and two assists) in the contest.

    Bergeron also became the fifth player in franchise history to net a hat trick in a Bruins home opener and the first since Cam Neely in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons. Bergeron only needs to net seven more goals from becoming the sixth player in franchise history to register 300 career goals.

    Bergeron also registered the third fastest goal in team history for a home opener, scoring just 30 seconds into the game.

    • Robin Lehner and the New York Islanders went on to defeat the San Jose Sharks 4-0. Lehner would stop all 35 shots that he faced in the contest to lift the Islanders to their first home win of the season. Lehner would also become the first goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in a team debut.
    • Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres went on to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Eichel would register two goals in the contest and Sabres goalie Carter Hutton would record 35 saves.The Sabres, however, would be outshot 37-17 in a limited-mistake free contest. Eichel would register four shots on six shot attempts in this contest.
    • The Anaheim Ducks held their 25th home opener and went on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout at Honda Center.This game also marked 25 years to the day when they also opened up their first season against the Detroit Red Wings.

      With the defeat over the Red Wings, Anaheim is 3-0-0 thus far in the 2018-19 season and match their best start over three games in team history. The last time the Ducks won three straight to open a season, it ended with a Stanley Cup victory in 2007.

      There were two players on the ice last night who were not born yet when Anaheim began NHL play in 1993-94, 21-year-old Troy Terry and 19-year-old Max Comtois.

      This was an exciting home opener for the Ducks who came out to their white Mighty Ducks of Anaheim jerseys for pregame warmups.

      The Ducks would later sport their new third jersey during game play.

    In NHL action today…

    Oct_9th_Schedy-08082845

    Image credit to NHL and NHL Public Relations

    For TXHT’s preview of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars, please read Steve Gardiner’s article here.

    In other NHL news, the Pittsburgh Penguins released their third jerseys today. These thirds are a slightly modified version of the home jersey worn during the 1984-85 season.

    In NWHL news…

    • The Minnesota Whitecaps announced that Winny Brodt Brown has been named captain and that Lee Stecklein and Hannah Brandt will be the assistant captains.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

    Also don’t forget to enter TXHT’s Contest for a pair of weekend passes to CSA Shows this weekend!

  • Gameday Preview:  Toronto Maple Leafs vs Dallas Stars

    Gameday Preview:  Toronto Maple Leafs vs Dallas Stars

    Date/Time: Tuesday, October 9th 2018 @8:30pm

    Toronto : 2-1-0 for 4 points

    Dallas: 2-0-0 for 4 points

    The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Dallas Stars setup for their lone meeting of the season tonight in Dallas. Toronto has won both of their games in overtime this season with a collective goal total through 3 games of 13. Their latest game being a freewheeling 7-6 overtime win against the Blackhawks Sunday night, with John Tavares scoring his seventh hat trick of his career and his first with Toronto since signing. The Leafs recognize there is still a lot of defensive tightening up to be done and they can play a much better game. Look for Kasperi Kapanen to be a key in tonight’s game, as he has been the only player other than Tavares, Marner and Matthews to show up consistently this season even in limited minutes, and when he was bumped up to play with Matthews and Marleau he had a goal and an assist. His ability to play into the corners and speed will be crucial.

    While Dallas comes into the game only giving up 1 goal in 2 games, after their convincing win of the Jets 5-1 at home and shutout of the Coyotes 3-0. First year Coach Jim Montgomery has started his career well in Dallas so far. The defence looks better and the offence looks to be clicking, on top of Ben Bishop holding a .50 GAA, Still coach Montgomery is trying to push his team to improve game by game and concentrate on the details. More reinforcements could be coming for Dallas as well, Valeri Nichushkin is could draw into the lineup after being on the injured reserve for the past 2 games.

    The big story of this game though will be defenseman Connor Carrick’s first game against his old team in Toronto. Carrick played 130 of his 160 NHL games in Toronto, but really feels that the change of scenery has helped him. Since joining the Stars, Carrick has 3 assists in 2 games.

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Toronto:

    Matthews – 8 points (5 goals 3 assists) 52% on Face-offs
    Rielly – 6 points (2 goals 4 assists)
    Tavares – 4 points (4 goals) 51% on face-offs

    Frederik Andersen
    1-1-0 3.05GAA .898SV%

     

    Dallas:

    Benn – 5 points (2 goals 3 assists)
    Seguin & Radulov – 4 points (2 goals 2 assists)
    Carrick – 3 points (3 assists)

    Ben Bishop
    2-0-0 0.50GAA .984SV% & 1 SO

    Lineups & Injuries

    Defensive Pairing:

    Rielly  –  Hainsey
    Gardiner – Zaitsev
    Dermott – Marincin

    Odd men out – Ozhiganov and Holl

    Injuries:  None

    Forward Lines:

    Kapanen –Matthews – Marleau
    Marner – Tavares– Hyman
    Ennis – Kadri – Brown
    Johnsson – Lindholm – Leivo

    Extra: Gauthier

    Injuries: none

    Goalies :

    Frederik Andersen
    Garrett Sparks

    4 Keys to Winning in Dallas:

      1. Babcock talked about Kapanen on Sunday during the press conference and stated that if.. “Kapanen can play on the boards and in front of the net like his did tonight on a regular basis while still showing that amazing speed, he’s going to be a real player for us.” There was an instant chemistry between Matthews and Kapanen on Sunday night and since Tyler Ennis has been on his game so far, it’s looking like some consistency from Kapanen could steal him a spot on that top line.
    2. Bodies in front of Ben Bishop.
      1. It’s been widely known that Ben Bishop does not handle players screening him well. Either will end up in a powerplay for Toronto or a puck in the back of the net.
    3. Depth Scoring
      1. Leivo, Kadri, Brown, Johnsson, Ennis….need to start getting some chances. As of right now the Kadri line with Brown and Leivo has been ok and even adding Ennis didn’t help. Johnsson has kind of looked out of sorts which could be due to him only playing 8 or 9 minutes a game. But there needs to be a spark from these guys.
    4. Leafs defencemen need to be better.
      1. Passes have been off costing the team big time turnovers, miss hits and assignments. It’s only early but this is where you need to find those issues and fine tune them.

     

     

    You can watch TXHT Live tonight at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

    Also don’t forget to enter TXHT’s Contest for a pair of weekend passes to CSA Shows this weekend!

  • NHL and NWHL News and Notes: October 8th, 2018

     

    These are your News and Notes for Monday, October 8th, 2018:

     

    In the NHL there were three games that happened yesterday…

    • The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers 8-5 at PNC Arena. Carolina overcame four different deficits before Andrei Svechnikov registered his first goal, a game-winner, with 9:16 remaining in the third period. This was the first time the Hurricanes scored eight goal in a contest since March 13, 2017 when they defeated the New York Islanders 8-4. Carolina has registered a point in all three contests this season to extend their record to 2-0-1.Svechnikov (18 years, 195 days) became the first player born in the 2000s to score a NHL goal. He also joined the Hurricanes/Whalers history book as the third youngest player in franchise history to score their first goal. Only Jeff Skinner (18 years, 157 days) and Paul Lawless (18 years, 181 days) are the other two players.

      Yesterday’s contest also marked the first time in the history of the franchise to overcome the four different deficits and go to win the contest in any fashion. The only time this occurred last season was when the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime.

    • John Tavares continues to shine for the Toronto Maple Leafs as Tavares registered his first hat trick with the Maple Leafs en route to a 7-6 win in overtime over the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. This was also Tavares’ ninth NHL career hat trick. Toronto registered three goals in the final two minutes of the contest to extend the game into the overtime frame. Morgan Reilly would score the game winner for Toronto just 19 seconds into the overtime frame.Tavares’ made Maple Leafs record book as the fourth player in the NHL modern era (since the 1943-33 season) to register a hat trick in his first three games. he Joins Miroslav Frycer, Jeff O’Neill, and current Maple Leaf teammate Auston Matthews.

      Matthews would go on to match a career-high four points in the contest (two goals and two assists), a mark he set in four-goal NHL debut on October 12, 2016.

      In a tribute ceremony before yesterday’s game, there was an emotional tribute for Chicago Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita. Mikita’s wife, Jill, was on hand for the ceremonial puckdrop.

    • The Los Angeles Kings went on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 at Staples Center. Ilya Kovalchuk would register two assists, including on the game-winner, to reach the 400-assist milestone. This would also mark the first win on the season for the Kings.Kovalchuk returned to the NHL when he signed with Los Angeles on June 23. Kovalchuk, 35, is one of eight active players in the NHL who have played a minimum of 100 contests and then average at least one point per game.

     

    There are four contests today in the NHL:

     

    In NHL news…

      • The Three Stars of the Week were announced earlier today.The Third Star of the Week went to Dallas Stars goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop recorded 62 saves on 63 shot attempts (a .984 save percentage), compiling a 2-0-0 record with a 0.50 GAA. Bishop would also register one shutout, a 3-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on October 4. In that contest Bishop stopped all 30 shots and became the third goaltender in franchise history to earn a shutout in a season opener.

        The Second Star of the Week went to Chicago Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews. Toews currently shares the League lead in goals with five and ranks second in points with six. Chicago has earned five points out of a possible six in the season standings (2-0-1) to open up the season. Toews registered his fifth career hat trick back on October 6. When Toews accomplished that feat, he became the fifth player in Blackhawks history to complete the hat trick with an overtime goal since December 2, 2006 when Jeff Hamilton reached that milestone.

        The First Star of the Week went to Toronto Maple Leafs C Auston Matthews. Matthews currently leads the League in goals (five), tied with Jonathan Toews and leads the league in points (eight). Toronto is currently 2-1-0 (4 pts) on the season. Matthews registered his second career four-point game in Toronto’s 7-6 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday and became the seventh player in franchise history to register multiple points in the team’s first three games of the season.

      • The Philadelphia Flyers announced that James van Riemsdyk will be out five to six weeks with a lower-body injury.
      • Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo will be out of action for 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain, the team announced today
      • Columbus Blue Jackets C Brandon Dubinsky is also headed for Injured Reserve, the team announced today. Dubinsky has a strained oblique muscle that was suffered in a practice on Sunday.

     

    In NWHL news, there were two contests to happen in the NWHL yesterday:

      • First, the Buffalo Beauts went on to defeat the Connecticut Whale 4-0 at Terry Connors Ice Rink in Stamford, CT. This game featured the debut of two goaltenders, Nicole Hensley and Meeri Räisänen. Räisänen stopped 34 of the 38 shots she faced in the contest for the Whale and Nicole Hensley made 10 saves on 10 shots on goal for the Beauts.Maddie Elia would score the first two goals of the contest for the Beauts in the span of 2:31, assisted by her linemates.

        Hayley Scamurra, the 2018 NWHL Rookie of the Year, would register four points in the contest with two goals and two assists.

        Buffalo had the 2-0 advantage going into the first intermission, along with outscoring Connecticut 16-4.

        TXHT’s Christopher Vasilas wrote his perspective on the game here.

        For a full recap of yesterday’s game between the Beauts and Whale, please go here.

      • The other contest pitted the Minnesota Whitecaps versus the Metropolitan Riveters at TRIA Rink. The Whitecaps would complete a weekend sweep of the defending Isobel Cup champions with a 3-1 win.The Whitecaps, much like Saturday’s contest, used their speed to get past the Riveters. Amanda Boulier would open up the scoring for Minnesota at 10:25 in the first period. Jenny Ryan would tie the score for the Riveters, the team’s first on the young season.

        Whitecaps Kendall Coyne Schofield had the opportunity to score on a shorthanded breakaway but would be denied by Riveters goaltender, Katie Fitzgerald. Amanda Kessel would have her own breakaway moments later for the Riveters on her way out of the penalty box, but her shot was too high.

        Jonna Curtis would give the Whitecaps the lead at 2-1 8:24 in the second period. Hannah Brandt would make it a 3-1 lead for the Whitecaps when she buried her shot off of Olympic teammate Coyne Schofield.

        For more on the contest between the Minnesota Whitecaps and Metropolitan Riveters, please go here.

      • Coming up this week in NWHL action:On Saturday October 13th, the Connecticut Whale visit the Buffalo Beauts at HarborCenter at 1:30 p.m., EDT and at 7:30 p.m., EDT, the Metropolitan Riveters visit the Boston Pride at Warrior Ice Arena.
      • Your NWHL Player of the Week is Hannah Brandt of the Minnesota Whitecaps. Brandt scored a goal in each of the Whitecaps games over the weekend over the Metropolitan Riveters. Brandt gave the Whitecaps the 2-0 advantage with her goal early in the second period on Saturday and then she would score again on Sunday to give the Whitecaps a 3-1 on Sunday, as well as the weekend sweep for the NWHL’s newest team.When Brandt was informed that she was named Player of the Week, she was appreciative but felt that the spotlight and award should be shared with her coaches, staff, players, and the fans.

     

    You can watch TXHT Live tomorrow at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

    Also don’t forget to enter TXHT’s Contest for a pair of weekend passes to CSA Shows this weekend!

  • William Nylander: To Sign or Not to Sign

    William Nylander: To Sign or Not to Sign

    We’re 5 days into the 2019 season and there’s one big looming question that is hanging over the Toronto Maple Leafs right now and that is…. Will William Nylander ever sign a contract?

    Let’s take a look at a few things surrounding this situation.

    The Situation:

    Nylander wants to sign a long term contract with the Leafs over a bridge deal.

    Kyle Dubas, GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has stated in numerous occasions that the organization would love to have Nylander commit long term. In most situations this would be a good thing and show loyalty to a team. But in this situation it isn’t the term. It’s the money that Nylander is asking.

    It appears William Nylander’s camp is asking for a lot more. Now most believed that it was a negotiation and that both would eventually come to lesser terms on a long term deal. But Nylander’s camp seems to refuse to come off the $8M AAV. Also as you can see above Ehlers, Monahan and David Pastrnak, as well as Filip Forsberg are the names that the Leafs are clinging to as comparables. Which makes tremendous sense considering these 4 basically had the same production as Nylander and yet received between $6M – $6.7M AAV.

    The Player -William Nylander

    When William Nylander was drafted there were a few questions concerning his character. My reasons for bringing this up was because when Nylander was drafted the dread of this day was always lingering over the heads of management.

    Nylander was considered a top 12 talent in the NHL draft in 2014. All the top 12 interviewed him as he was easily considered one of the top 2 European talents in the draft, the other being Kasperi Kapanen. Scouts were all unanimous on his ability to anything in offensive zone amazingly. But there was 1 thing that scouts were not unanimous about…Was he anything like his father?

    Michael Nylander is a retired NHL player who played for 6 different teams in his NHL career. He wasn’t a superstar but a solid NHL player. But once again character came into question.

    “In his long NHL career, Michael Nylander had crossed paths with many of the NHL executives and scouts who were evaluating his son, and Michael Nylander hadn’t made a great impression on many of them. In the opinion of one NHL scout who had played with him, “He was a talented guy but a me-first type, selfish. He wasn’t a coach killer, but he wasn’t committed to the team concept. If he gets his goals, gets his contract . . . whatever he can get out of it.”

    Another who played with Michael called him “the worst teammate I ever had . . . it was always all about him.”

    That Michael played for himself was a common view. Not that he was poison in the dressing room — it was just that he wasn’t what guys thought of as a good soldier, not even a soldier for hire, or a teammate first.”

    JOYCE, GARE. YOUNG LEAFS: the Making of a New Hockey History. SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2018.

    The real worry was will the younger Nylander turn out to be like his father. Scouts were split down the middle. Some stating that….

    “He grew up around NHL arenas, so he knows the drill. Polite, considered his answers, didn’t tell you what he thought you wanted to hear. Talking to him, I didn’t get the idea that he was aware of his father’s reputation around the league.”

    While other GMs gave…

    “Nylander high grades based on performance came away from the combine pegging him as aloof and “really full of himself.”

    The worry with Nylander was always that he would become his father, not putting the team first in negotiations or on the ice. Nylander seemed to be bigger than that so far into his career but most GMs believed that we might not see the real Nylander until contract discussions began. Now I won’t comment on whether or not I feel Nylander is showing his true character or not. But I will leave this, in a statement last week when asked about his contract talks Nylander stated this….

    “In the end I have to take care of myself and do what I and my agent thinks is right. Especially if it’s about several years to come. I need to think long term. It’s my own future it’s about.”

    Are the Leafs desperate?

    Toronto sits at 2-1 for the season after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 7-6 tonight in Overtime. The Leafs have scored 13 goals in 3 games thats an average of 4.33 goals for per game. Offence is not the problem, Nylander might want to be a little careful. It’s the defence of Toronto that needs work and that potentially could be addressed by the rumors of trading Nylander for some defence.

    Also let’s face some facts. No one will offer sheet Nylander because at 7.5M or 8M that is a lot of picks for sacrifice for a one dimensional player, who seems to cower in the corners.

    But as of now the Leafs are not desperate and totally plan to play the waiting game. But for Nylander every game means a loss of money.

     

    You can watch TXHT Live this Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

    Also don’t forget to enter TXHT’s Contest for a pair of weekend passes to CSA Shows this weekend!

  • News and Notes: October 7th, 2018

     

    These are your news and notes for Sunday, October 7th, 2018.

    There were twelve contests last night in the NHL.

    • The Chicago Blackhawks became third team in NHL history to start the season with consecutive overtime victories. The Blackhawks follow the 1984-85 Toronto Maple Leafs and 2009-10 Montreal Canadiens. Jonathan Toews completed a hat trick to secure a Chicago 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues in overtime at Enterprise Center. Toews’ hat trick was also the fifth of his career.
      • The New Jersey Devils defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in the NHL Global Series at Gothenberg, Sweden. This was New Jersey’s first neutral site victory since March 27, 1994 when they defeated the Quebec Nordiques at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri became the third player to score the fastest goal in an NHL game outside of North America.
      • Martin Brodeur was on hand for the ceremonial puck drop that included New Jersey’s Marcus Johansson and Edmonton’s Adam Larsson, both of whom were born in Sweden.
      • St. Louis Blues Alexander Steen appeared in his 900th NHL game. His father, Thomas Steen, played in 950 NHL games. The Steens joined only two other father/son duos for more than 900 NHL games played.

    Yesterday’s results:

      • at New Jersey 5, Edmonton 2 (at Gothenburg, Sweden
      • at Dallas 5, Winnipeg 1
      • at Buffalo 3, New York Rangers 1
      • Ottawa 5, at Toronto 3
      • at Tampa Bay 2, Florida 1 (SO)
      • Nashville 4, at New York Islanders 3
      • Montreal 5, at Pittsburgh 1
      • Chicago 5, at St. Louis 4 (OT)
      • Vegas 2, at Minnesota 1 (SO)
      • Anaheim 1, at Arizona 0
      • at Colorado 5, Philadelphia 2
      • at Calgary 7, Vancouver 4

    There are three games on the schedule for today:

    In NHL news…

      • The San Jose Sharks have placed Joe Thornton on Injured Reserve.

    In NWHL news…

      • The Minnesota Whitecaps defeated the Metropolitan Riveters 4-0 at a sold-out TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minnesota yesterday. Amanda Leveille, former University of Minnesota and Buffalo Beauts goalie, recorded the shutout for the Whitecaps. Katie McGovern would register the first goal for the Minnesota Whitecaps. McGovern’s goal, which was the first in team NWHL history, was registered with 2:24 left in the first period.Hannah Brandt would score the Whitecaps second goal of the contest. Riveters Amanda Kessel attempted to get the team on the board, however Leveille deflected Kessel’s shot midway through the second period. Kessel would later ring a shot off of the crossbar.

        Kate Schipper would make the contest a 3-0 lead for the Whitecaps 3:34 into the third period from a high shot pass from Kendall Coyne Schofield. Coyne Schofield would score the empty-net goal in the final seconds of the contest.

        The Minnesota Whitecaps take on the Metropolitan Riveters again today at TRIA Rink.

        Minnesota Whitecaps win NWHL debut over Metropolitan Riveters

    There are two NWHL games today:

    • Metropolitan Riveters at Minnesota Whitecaps (at TRIA Rink)
    • Buffalo Beauts at Connecticut Whale (at Terry Connors Ice Rink)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live every Wednesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

    Also don’t forget to enter TXHT’s Contest for a pair of weekend passes to CSA Shows this upcoming weekend!

  • News and Notes: October 6th, 2018

     

    These are your news and notes for Saturday, October 6th, 2018…

    There were two contests last night in the NHL.

    • The Carolina Panthers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 at Nationwide Arena. Carolina’s Sebastian Aho registered two points (one goal and one assist) and 18-year-old rookie Andrei Svechnikov (one assist) to lead Carolina to their first victory on the season. This would also be the first NHL win for new Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour
    • The San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime at Staples Center. New Sharks acquisition Erik Karlsson, who lead all skaters in the contest with 29:27 time on ice, would go on to register his first point after surrendering a two-goal lead. This victory would also be the Sharks fourth-consecutive regular-season win over the Kings.

    Today in action:

    Oct_6th_SCHEDULE-06020528

    Image courtesy of NHL and NHL Public Relations

    In NHL news…

    In NWHL news

    • Today marks the debut of the Minnesota Whitecaps when they take on the Metropolitan Riveters at 5 p.m. ET.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

     

    Also don’t forget to enter TXHT’s Contest for a pair of weekend passes to CSA Shows next weekend!

     

    You can watch TXHT Live every Wednesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.